Looking for answers to life's questions

It has been the oddest week. Monday started out playing musical cars with my daughter as we had used mine all weekend. She was on her way to work at 6:30 a.m. I pulled out and waited for her to pull out next, then I would back into the driveway as she went off to drive to the MAX for the rest of her trip into downtown.

I looked back and her headlights started flashing. Rolling down my window and backing up a bit, she got out of her car to tell me her battery was dead and her car wouldn’t start. The mechanic where she’d recently had work done on the car mentioned that it was weak and suggested replacing it. There would be no more procrastinating. She ended up taking my car to the MAX and picking up a battery on her way home.

It’s still pretty for a 1997 Olds Bravada.

I must say, I was impressed with her tenacity to struggle with the bolts that held the battery in place; hunting for the tools she needed in the dark and cold to get the job done.

The next morning, I was cautious as she started her car after I pulled out to let her head to the MAX but off she went. I put mine back in the driveway. We are not allowed to park in the street which makes sense to me because they are narrow and emergency vehicles need easy access. Ten minutes later, my daughter was back in the driveway. What was wrong now? She got out of the car and came inside but she wasn’t alone.

She witnessed a medium sized dog running around the streets of our neighborhood dragging its leash behind. What could have happened to its person? So, she pulled her car in ahead of the dog and called it to her. This sweet thing came willingly and once she had it in the car, she brought it home for me to figure out the next step as she hurried to catch the light rail.

I did what any dog mom would do, I fed her and spoke soft sweet words to her. She was curious about everything including the chunk of ham from which I had just cut a piece. She was tall enough to reach to top of the kitchen counter to retrieve it herself so I quickly put it back in the fridge and sat to post an ad in our neighborhood site with a fuzzy photo and my phone number.

Where’s the food?

She had no tags nor name attached and was not going to settle down so I quickly dressed and put her leash back on. After giving her a few moments to wander my tiny backyard, we hopped into my car and I began the search for someone searching.

Riding shotgun. I could have kept this sweet girl but she wanted her own people.

It didn’t take long after a couple of stops to ask a neighbor or two if they were missing a dog or knew of one, to find a car slowly driving up and down roads randomly. I flashed my headlights at the car and it stopped. A young man (by my standards) got out and came to my window on the passenger side. Dog was in the back seat. I asked if he was looking for a dog. He was. It was his parents’ dog and her name was Goose! She jumped into the front seat as soon as she saw him and responded to her name. Goose was quite strong and I could see her easily pulling someone over in her playful puppiness. She had apparently seen something that made her run after it and off went the chase. Goose was finally back where she belonged and my daughter was relieved no humans were left lying in the street injured somewhere. Another rescue with successful results.

Is your week going according to plan or have you also had things pop up unexpectedly?

Comments on: "Goose" (93)

Applause is unnecessary. We just wait for opportunities to serve in whatever way we can. My daughter has a huge heart and I love animals more than people sometimes. Thanks for stopping by, LInda. Enjoy the rest of your week.

How wonderful that she wasn’t hurt and that you found her owners. Sometimes things happen like that and we’ll be the one to be the helper or fixer or the one to save the day. She is a beautiful dog and I love her name. ❤ Good job, Marlene.

Oh, me, too. We have two indoor rescue cats now, but haven’t had a dog while here since we are not fenced. They are such a part of me, my life. From the age of 10, I’ve always had pets. Right now, Gandalf and Otis make the best snuggle buddies. ❤ I'll bet the owners were grateful to YOU. 🙂

What a story! So glad it has a happy ending! Although I can really picture you with Goose staying with you and your daughter to keep you company. 😉 But she’s back where she belongs and all is well. 😊
The week isn’t over yet so no telling if surprises are heading my way, if so let’s hope they’re as good as yours. ☺

I could picture Goose staying here as well but had to try. I know I would have been devastated had mine been lost and not returned to me. If she gets loose again, they might not get so lucky. 😉 Surprises heading your way??? Interesting…

As John Lennon once said ‘Life is what happens while we’re busy making other plans’ Flat batteries aside the rest of the surprises were pretty amazing – which is of course the best kind of surprise to have. Do I pick up the thought that having a dog in your house for a few moments has triggered the impulse for one of your own? Now you know I shall be a fan of that idea!! ❤

It’s a good thing we are very adaptable to change. I always love having a dog and planned to get one when I moved in here. There is no one to take a dog later so I didn’t want one to wind up in the shelter. My daughter is planning on leaving the country as soon as possible and that’s a responsibility she doesn’t want to take on right now. I’ll just keep rescuing when the opportunity arrives. I could have easily kept that sweet puppy. I figure I’ll have one if one finds me.

I didn’t realise your daughter had plans to leave Marlene – though now I recall you have mentioned it before and I had forgotten. I can understand then that a pup is not on the cards – but then again, never say never.

I would not ever say never. I was quite tempted to keep this sweet girl if I couldn’t find her people. I really miss having a dog and she would like one too. We are doing a lot of research on how to make this move and the costs. Her gentle nature is having a hard time with the political climate here.

A Goose on the Loose! Thank goodness for the two of you caring enough. And I think cars should have a battery gauge as well as a fuel gauge, so you can see when you’re getting low. We have them on our phones, why not our cars?

I can’t say she wasn’t warned. The mechanic told her is was weak. She likes to live on the edge I guess. Or pacing the cost of all the repairs that were needed. More still to come. If she wasn’t so set on leaving the country, she would buy a newer car. In the meantime, it’s patch, patch, patch. 😉 That was such a sweet dog I hated to give her back. ;( Thanks for stopping by.

Thank you for the visit. It was a feel good day for us as well. I was pretty certain I would find her people somehow and had posted on our Next Door web site that I found her with photos. My daughter and I, nor my son would let an animal wander without trying to help.

Oh my! I can only imagine how happy Goose’s family was to have her back. We’ve rescued dogs on more than one occasion. They definitely love their families! I’d be sad if Isabelle went missing. Well done, my friend!

Thanks, Missy. I did post that I found her on our Next Door site and the young man said he would tell his parents about it. We need to get more people linked in for these kinds of situations. I was lucky with my second dog. We called her velcro. My sister left our gate open once and she went to the end of the road to wait for us and a neighbor saw her, brought her into their home and called us. Thank goodness. She was snack sized for the bear there.

It’s a good feeling isn’t it? I’m always happy that another one has been saved from being run over by a car. I adored that sweet friendly dog and would have loved to keep her but they need their own people. Thanks for stopping by, Cathy.

Thank you so much, Kerry. We are always happy to help our furry friends. I hope it was a good ending though I’ve wondered some about the the dog’s owner’s attitude. If I see her loose again, I’ll keep her longer and do more research into the owners.

Marlene, you and your daughter are angels! Goose looks so sweet. Good on you for finding his owner so quickly.

We think our Riley was lost and out on his own for quite some time, because he sure knows his way around a bag of garbage. He ended up at the pound and was adopted out twice but taken back both times. Even though he’s nine years old, he had too much zip and energy for an elderly man, and the kids in the second family tormented him too much. I suspect he may have nipped them a time or two. I’m so glad Rich brought him home to us. We’ve had him about three months now, and I feel he’s just now really settling in and trusting us.

I really wanted to keep her as I do most animals I find. But it’s not honorable to not try and find the family. She was well mannered and knew her commands but had an odd linked collar on over top of the leather collar and a very heavy leash. I’m guessing she was too much for her owners. If I see her loose again, I’ll see if she is chipped as she had no tags. Then she will be mine. I’m glad you saved yours from the pound again. Most people don’t know how to train a dog well. We called mine “Velcro”. She never left my side or ran off. It was the little treats I always kept in my pocket. 😉 Rewards are so much better than a chain collar. 🙂 Dogs are so worth the time and effort. Thanks so much for stopping by, Maddie.

Oh what good Samaritans you both are. And I bet the boy and Goose were relieved to be reunited again..
And is sounds like your daughter is a chip of the block as they say for resourcefulness. Glad she got her car battery fixed.. The cold weather, withe wiperblades and heaters on etc soon drain an old battery down..

Loved reading Marlene. Hope you are keep warm and well yourself..
Much love to you ❤ Hugs ❤

Thanks for stopping by, Sue. Yes, we are warm and well and daughter is a chip off the block. 😉 She has a huge heart and would not put getting to work on time before the welfare of an animal.. We have our priorities. 😉 Hope you are getting rest and restored. Hugs. and love.

I had no idea where this post was going, but I’m happy to read the happy conclusion. It’s good to know they were out looking for Goose at the same time you went looking for them. Nicely done, the two of you.

Thank you, Alys. The post was going the way of my week, all over the map. 😉 I had a feeling I would find the owners because I didn’t really want to. But I could sense she wanted to be with her people and was a bit anxious. She had quite the chain collar on over her leather collar. I had very mixed feelings about this.

Oh dear. I’m sorry to hear about that. I thought people were done with those collars. We’re seeing more and more harnesses down here, which seems much more humane. Love you, Marlene, and your caring heart.

What a delightful story with such a happy ending! Like you, I think animals are preferable to some humans.

There are loads of stray dogs where I live. I currently feed 13 strays every day (as well as my own 2 dogs). I’ve got most of them sterilised now, but they’re difficult to catch, as it’s all scrubland around my house so they just run away into the trees. 3 more to catch – and 2 of them have just had puppies – arrggh, more homes to find for them.

I’ve been trying to comment on your blog for ages, I’ve left loads of comments but they all seem to disappear into the ether. I have no idea why, but I’m hoping this one will work now. Fingers crossed!

Well, this one worked, Clare. Thank you for all the times you stopped by and I didn’t know it. I didn’t know that was happening to you. Your posts are hard sometimes to leave comments on but I do pop over when I can. Because we are more city than country, dogs will get hit by cars before they get back home. I don’t have my own animals for several reasons but we are a family that works hard to rescue all animals in need. Spaying and neutering is not something enough do for their animals. I did for all of mine. It’s expensive and you are doing it for so many as well as feeding them. We have a lot of outside cats running wild here. Thanks for stopping by.

I’m so glad the happy ending came relatively quickly for everyone and especially Goose, who must have been reconsidering the wisdom of chasing a squirrel that morning, or whatever it was that caught her attention. It was a good idea to go out looking for someone who was looking, and also smart to post in your community’s website. You’re a handy couple of women to have around. 😉 Hugs

I’m going to be looking for her as the weather warms up this year. I hate seeing dogs hit on the road so we rescue away. Thanks for the visit. Weather will clear completely in a couple of hours so stay safe.

Thank you, Jennie. I really had an uncomfortable feeling when I returned Goose. The feeling that she was too much for her owners though she was very well trained. But they were looking for her so I did what was right. We have rescued many animals over the years. Little pups slip out and need to be sent back to the homes they are familiar with. My daughter loves animals as much as I do. Thank you for stopping by.

A beautiful story Marlene! Glad you and Goose found the owner and nothing bad had happened… My son is a law enforcement officer and a few of weeks ago he rescued a sweet hound dog who was running between cars on a busy street…the dog came home with him for the night and the next day he took it to a rescue organization. It has now been adopted to a good home after the owner could not be found. It seems someone just left it on the street after the hunting season ended.

Oh, Tiny, that story hurts a bit but your son saved another sweet creature. To leave a dog or cat intentionally on the streets hurts my heart. I’m so happy the dog has a good home now. Thank you for stopping by. I’ll keep good thoughts for your son. It’s a tough, relatively thankless job. We need good men like him.

How awful and irresponsible that someone could dump a dog after they had finished with it when there are plenty of shelters around. I wish there was someone of preventing people like this from purchasing dogs. Glad the story had a happy ending.

Aw. Such a great story with a happy ending. I am not surprised that you and your daughter would do this. Just as well the dog found you! We need so much more of these lovely feel good stories in the press. Imagine how it might rub off on folks if they were conditioned by hearing these lovely selfless acts of caring and assistance each and every day?

There is a lot of cpmpassion and empathy. I heard that today from the cattle farmers in the flood and drought stricken areas. They have been overwhelmed with donations from city folk. She spoke of how we can all help them, if only by buying a steak or two.

You know…this whole saga made me smile because we just never know quite what life is going to offer us. I am grateful for every moment, though. I’ve had some unexpected twists and turns – even recently – but life never stops being wondrous and magical – at least if you let it be. Even in dire circumstances, there is magic…if you just learn to see it.
There was magic in the battery not starting. That allowed your daughter to find the dog, which, in turn, got returned to its owner. Perhaps not a life-changing thing right then, but…a life-happier kind of thing. 🙂
I’m sure glad spring is right around the corner. Even though it’s early evening, I can hear birds outside singing their sunset salutations. I love that. I love hearing them coming back north and filling the air with their melodies. 🙂
I hope you have a wonderful week. Life sounds interesting with your daughter. Hehe.

I’m sure you are like me in that I don’t believe in accidents. Everything is in it’s proper order. We just have to roll with those twists and turns. I’m with you, ready to be able to get outside for a while and hear the birds. I have a garden waiting to be tended along with a dozen other jobs but I’m never, ever bored. Yes, life with anyone is interesting. 🙂 She has a good heart.

This story warms the cockles of my heart. (What are cockles in your heart?) Who knows, but they are warmed none the less. You did your good deed for the month and Goose is back with her gaggle! Sorry, sometimes I can’t stop myself…..I think it’s a function of aging.

You tickle me to no end, Cindy. Aging is something I understand. 😉 My daughter caught Goose running loose and was late for work but dropped her off with me to figure out what to do next. I would have kept her had I not found her people. She was way to active for older people though quite adorable.

Aww, sweet Goose, so glad you found its owner, or they found you, I should say. What a great story. I had an aggravating week last week, this one better. Finally getting back to my edits, but coming up for air to visit my lovely friend Marlene, where I know I’ll always find reason to smile 🙂

Thanks for stopping by, Sherri. I know the feeling. Always more to do than hours in the day. I’m sitting here when I should be getting ready for company. I do love full days though. I thought it interesting that I was “in search of” someone who was “in search of” Goose. I followed that car down several streets and it appeared to be looking for something or somewhere. Lucky me that day. I’m sure you will have you book finished soon and we can all enjoy a good read. Hugs.

hey Marlenee-bean! What a wonderful adventure you’ve had 😀 Goose was a good boy to hop straight into your daughters car! I’m happy for that! What a dear she is, I love that she did that and you found his owner. Happy endings are the best! Next time he gets away, he’ll probably come to your house for me ham. 😀 xoxox K

I’ll be looking for her on my summer walks. She was such a sweet girl and well trained with no fear of people. Yes, I was hoping she’d come back for more ham. 😉 Something I never have in my fridge. If she gets away again, I’ll be more reluctant to take her back but she would miss her people. Hope you are doing well and not too busy. Thanks for the visit. Hugs and love, M

Thanks for stopping by, Luanne. She won’t be the first we have found and returned but I sure hope it stops happening so often. Many don’t get the happy outcome. I was tickled with my daughter for dealing with being tardy at work over letting a dog get hurt. I was sure if I acted quickly, I’d find someone looking for her. 🙂

So happy it worked out so well for the dog. I have also found a lot of dogs over the years. One time was particularly memorable and easy. We live in a cul de sac and a dog walked right up on our driveway and collapsed at our feet. He was so exhausted he couldn’t go on. Luckily, he had tags and within 30 minutes his mama arrived.

Now that’s another happy ending, Luanne! Dogs seem to gravitate to the people that love them. I’ve rescued my share of cats as well and know so many others that rescue and return as well. Always glad to hear another happy ending.

Haha, and my six cats are rescues, as well as my dearly departed cat Mac, as well as my friends cats (my rescues that I begged her to take LOL). For years I found dogs then all of a sudden it switched to cats for the most part. So strange.

What a wonderful story of people helping people, dogs loving all people but needing their special ones, mothers/daughters being “there” for each other. I could go on and on. But you prove what I often say – the ordinary lives of us ordinary people are truly extraordinary
So glad GOOSE is home with his loved ones – thanks to YOU. xo

Thank you so much, Pam. She was such a sweetheart that I’m glad my daughter caught her before she was hurt. I’m lucky to have adult children with good hearts and a willingness to put heart into action. I think most of the world is filled with goodness. It’s the other that sadly gets the notoriety.